Title: Black Diamonds

Summary: Ryan makes friends with an African-American student at Harbor.

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to The O.C..

Chapter 11

Monday morning at the Reese house was the standard routine of everybody in the household, including the guest, getting ready for school and work. It was standard, but different than at the Cohens': watching Sandy coming back from surfing, eating cereal straight out of the box, drinking lots of coffee with Seth, and riding his bike to school. Instead there was no coffee, eating granola cereal from a bowl with Sam and Angela, watching Sam's parents run around getting Maggie and everyone ready, driving to school in Sam's car, and rushing right to the student lounge to get some coffee. Ryan would really have to look into cutting down on his dependence on caffeine.

It was kind of weird, not being at the Cohens' before school for the first time. It was also weird not having Seth in school, for the second day in a row. Even though they didn't have any classes together, they were normally together before school, and often ran into each other in the halls, and usually managed to eat lunch together.

By the end of the day, Ryan just wanted something familiar. He didn't want go straight back to the Reeses' house with Sam and Angela. But he was a little embarrassed to tell Sam that he wanted to go home for a while, especially since he'd only been gone for three days, and he'd be going home tomorrow.

Ryan couldn't really explain it. How could he possibly be homesick, for heaven's sake? It wasn't like he was a 6-year-old going to camp for his first time -- not that he'd ever been to camp. But, he wanted to go home, so he told Sam that he had to do some research in the library and he'd make his own way back to Sam's house when he was done. Instead, he walked back to the Cohens'.

But when Ryan got there, and the place was empty, it wasn't as comforting being there as he'd hoped. It wasn't like he'd never been home before without Seth, Kirsten, or Sandy being there, but it had always been just for a little while, and he knew someone would be home in a few hours. This was different, it felt so... empty.

Ryan wandered around the empty house -- the kitchen, the den, the livingroom, even into Kirsten and Sandy's bedroom, and upstairs into Seth's bedroom. He lay down on Seth's bed and stared at the ceiling and tried to figure out what he was feeling. He reached over and grabbed Captain Oats. Seth seemed to always find it helpful to hold the plastic horse when he was trying to figure stuff out, so he figured why not?

Ryan knew he felt this feeling before, but he couldn't quite place it. He closed his eyes and tried to think back and associate this feeling with a place and time. His eyes flew open when he realized what it was -- it was the feeling he had when he went back to his mother's house and found it empty. He felt abandoned again.

Ryan quickly sat up in Seth's bed. That was ridiculous. The Cohens didn't abandon him, they were just gone for a few days. Maybe it was just a little leftover feeling from when he felt like everyone had emotionally abandoned him during the Oliver affair. But he had thought he was over that. Everything was back to normal between him and Seth and between him and Sandy. He still hadn't quite forgiven Marissa, but that shouldn't have anything to do with this.

Ryan shook his head to try and clear it. He put down Captain Oats and made his way downstairs. Maybe if he talked to Seth, that would help. He used the cordless in the kitchen to call Seth's cell, but it went directly to voice mail, so Seth must have turned it off. After hanging up the phone, without leaving a message, he was unsure if he wanted to try Sandy or Kirsten. After a moment, he decided to try Sandy.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sandy, it's Ryan."

"Hey, kid, how's it going? Is something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing's wrong."

"Hold on -- caller id says you're calling from the house. Why are you at the house? Haven't you been staying with Sam? You said you would..."

"Yeah, no, I am. I just... I just needed to pick something up at the house that I forgot."

"Uh-huh. You sure you're OK?"

"I'm fine."

"You had your test today, right? How'd that go?"

"Good. I think I'm going to do well."

"And your project is due tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I'm almost done. I'll finish tonight."

"Good, good."

"How are things going up there? How's Seth doing?"

"He came in second in his first round heat, which qualified him for the semifinals, but he came in fourth in his semifinal heat and didn't make it to the finals."

"Didn't he win last year?"

"Yeah, but that was in the 13 to 15 year old division, now he's competing in the 16 to 18 division."

"Oh, right. So... he's not competing today?"

"No, but he wanted to stay and watch the finals, plus tonight there is a party for all the participants and Seth wants to go to that. But we'll be back tomorrow, as planned."

"What time?"

"Probably not 'til after 4, maybe as late as 6, but it shouldn't be any later than that."

"OK."

"How are things going at Sam's? Are you having fun? Not giving Henry and Gwen any trouble?"

"You'd already know about it if I was."

"True. Henry would have called. So we'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I'll be here."

"Well, Kirsten's waiting for me I should go."

"OK."

"See you tomorrow, Ryan."

Ryan hung up the phone. After talking to Sandy, he felt much better. With Sandy being so parental, asking about school and stuff, he felt more connected to him. He looked around the empty kitchen. Maybe Sandy and Kirsten were right, maybe it was good that he didn't stay here in this empty house all this time.

Ryan grabbed his bookbag and headed out to the pool house. He intended to just spend a little time in familiar surroundings, sitting on his own bed, doing his homework, like he did pretty much every day. He intended to watch the clock and head back to the Reeses' before the parents got home, like he and Sam and Angela did last Friday.

Unfortunately, Ryan got into his homework and lost track of time. Before he knew it, the phone in the pool house was ringing. He looked over and the caller id said it was from the Reeses' house. He looked at the clock. It was 6 O'Clock.

Crap.

"Hello?"

It was Sam. "Man, where the hell have you been? I told my folks you were doing research at school and my Dad called over there and kind of freaked when you weren't there."

"Sorry, man, I just had to come home for a while."

In the background, Ryan heard Sam's Dad's voice telling Sam to give him the phone. "Ryan?"

Ryan sighed. "Yeah."

"Where have you been?"

"I came home for a while."

"I can see that. I wish you had told us, or at least Sam, where you were going. While you're here at our house we're responsible for you. Sandy and Kirsten would never forgive us if something happened to you while you're here."

"I'm sorry." Ryan stood up, wedged the cordless phone between his ear and his shoulder, and started packing up his stuff. "I'm on my way right now."

"I'm sending Sam over to pick you up."

"You don't have to --"

"Yes, I do." Mr. Reese used the tone of voice that Sam described as his don't argue with me tone.

"OK. I'm really sorry."

Mr. Reese sighed. "All right, Ryan. I would say don't do it again, but since you're going home for real tomorrow, it would be pretty pointless."

Ryan wasn't sure what to say to that, so he just kept packing up his stuff and didn't say anything.

"OK... Well... Dinner will be waiting for you and Sam when you get back."

"Thanks."

Mr. Reese hung up the phone. Ryan put down his phone, finished packing up his bookbag, locked up the pool house and the main house, and went out front to wait for Sam. He hoped that Mr. Reese wasn't too mad. Ryan wasn't really used to telling the parental units where he was going all the time. He'd heard from Sam and Angela that their parents always wanted to know where they were going, who they were going with, when they'd be back. But he didn't think that it would apply to him.

On Tuesday morning, Ryan packed up his dufflebag. He was going to take it with him this morning and leave it in Sam's car during school because Sam was going to take him directly home after school. He headed down to breakfast with the Reeses.

After breakfast, Mrs. Reese surprised him by hugging him. "Goodbye, Ryan, it's been very nice having you here. I'm sure you'll be back here soon, though, right?"

Ryan exchanged a look with Sam then smiled at his mother. "Of course."

And Mr. Reese shook his hand. Apparently he wasn't still mad about yesterday. "Say 'hi' to Sandy and Kirsten for us."

"Sure."

And Maggie held her hands up to him, and he picked her up and twirled her around and she squealed.

Finally he and Sam and Angela were able to get out of there and head off to school. After school, as planned, Sam drove Ryan home. This time when Ryan walked into the empty house, it felt much better. He knew that Seth, Sandy, and Kirsten would be home in a few hours. It didn't feel so empty. Ryan headed out to the pool house to unpack. Then he did his usual and sat on his bed and did his homework and waited for the Cohens to get home.

When they got home, Seth came bounding into the pool house, all full of news about his trip up north that he just couldn't help from telling Ryan all about, in detail. Ryan smiled, put down his homework, and listened to Seth chatter on.

He was home.

To Be Continued